4 Ways to Manage Pain and Arthritis with Simple Yoga Routines

Yoga is a low-impact form of exercise that is also known to provide considerable tension and stress-relief benefits. When you have a chronic, painful condition such as arthritis, simple yoga routines also help with your symptom management. Consider these four ways in which even beginner yoga poses can help you to manage your pain.

Improved Mood

Simple yoga sessions are known to improve the mood. Taking the time to slow down, relax and become mindful of your surroundings helps to erase negative moods and turns you toward positive thoughts. As your mood improves, you will notice that your body also feels better. Simple yoga poses such as the mountain pose and breathing exercises are easy to do, and you will be able to enjoy immediate benefits in your body and spirit.

Pain Management

The exercises and meditation of yoga also help with pain management. Some companies, like Potter’s House Apothecary, know how beneficial yoga can be for pain management. Yoga was originally designed as a spiritual way to connect yourself to your higher power, but people have found how helpful it is to manage and prevent pain. Simple poses such as the downward dog allow you to move through the pain and release tension in your body. The meditation of yoga also helps to distract you from pain and provides you with another area of mental focus.

According to a recent study conducted on 47 patients at the Ohio State University, nearly 60 percent of people practicing yoga at least once per week had a reduction in their physiological stress markers. These patients all had either rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or both conditions. Even simple yoga routines involving poses such as the tree pose can help you to minimize your stress, which can in turn reduce inflammation and decrease your arthritis and pain symptoms.

Maintaining Joint Flexibility

The slow, deliberate stretches associated with yoga allows you to maintain flexibility in your joints. By doing regular yoga sessions with positions such as the bridge, you can avoid the stiffness that often results from inactivity of the arthritic joint. Stiff joints are often painful and difficult to move. The gentle movements of yoga can help you to maintain your full range of motion and flexibility.

Simple yoga routines can be learned by anyone. Even if you have moderate to severe arthritis, your yoga teacher can help you with some modifications, such as using a chair or a brace to stabilize your body. Trying one or two new yoga poses per week can help you to reduce the chronic pain of arthritis and pain that results from other long-term conditions and injuries.